Butterflies
by VexVulpes
Summary: A lost hero rediscovers his powers. A chosen one struggles against old feelings. A lone twin finds he's not alone. And all the while Edogawa Conan wonders just how life got so much more complicated.
1. Wake Up Call

_"You... neva ansahed me, Ninten."_

_He hummed, brown eyes glancing to the blonde girl by his side before looking back out to the moon lit snow. A few months had passed since the events which had brought him and this girl together. Events that, he was certain, he would never forget._

_"Ninten?"_

_"Yes." Not a question, but the answer she wanted. A soft gasp sounded as he turned to face the other young teen, clasping her hand in his, placing their foreheads together. "The answer is yes."_

_And as she smiled and closed the distance, the stars seemed to shine brighter._

xXx

His head hurt.

It was the first thing he was aware of as he regained consciousness. His head really hurt, like someone had hit him in the back of the neck with a heavy pipe. However, as he tried to move his arms to feel for any injuries, the movement only made his migraine worse and he was forced to give up. Minutes trickled by as more of his senses made themselves known and he realized that his head not only hurt, but he was cold, wet, and exhausted.

Something had happened. There was no question about it, especially since he had no memory of how he had ended up in this situation. Gritting his teeth against the pounding in his skull, he forced himself to sit up and look at his bleary surroundings.

He was, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of a smoggy night in Beika, in what looked to be an alley, judging by the boxes and trashcans he could see around him. It was only when he shook his head to ward off a sudden spell of dizziness that he found he was soaked because it was raining quite heavily. Wonderful. Well at least those questions were answered.

Now, what had happened?

He scowled, closing his eyes and listening to the rain as he retraced his steps before waking up here. He remembered the mission. Simple and flawless. Getting in the Porsche with Aniki and driving back to base. Running into Vermouth and being invited to drink at a local bar with her and his partner. Then... Nothing. A hazy blank between the bar and here. Perhaps a hangover? No, Aniki would have kept him from drinking too much. Speaking of which...

Where was Aniki?

He moaned, massaging his temples. So many questions, with no answers in sight. The migraine was unbearable now and for a split second, he wished he could have remained unconscious until it went away. And on top of that, he felt a bone chilling weariness, as if he were recovering from some horrible illness and his fever had just broken. Wait, fever. Heat. Fire. He had felt fire. Intense burning fire that he could have sworn consumed his entire being. Yes, he could remember leaving... somewhere and then the fire struck with intense pain. The memory made him cringe and he clutched his chest as if feeling it again.

For some reason, he couldn't help but feel... small. Small and helpless. It was a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time and it was one he didn't like. Growling, he raised a hand to run through his short black hair, but froze at the sight before him, the growl dying in his throat. His sleeve... It wasn't supposed to bag and bunch up so much on his arm. He was a very large man and his suit and trench coat had been tailored to fit him perfectly. Come to think of it, his entire coat felt a bit baggy.

He needed to stand up.

Now.

Ignoring the pulsing in his head, he placed a hand to a slimy wall, resisting the urge to pull back in disgust. While it took him a few tries, he eventually managed to hoist himself up fully, stumbling only slightly before finding his balance. For a few minutes, he allowed himself to simply stand there, focusing on his breathing and the rain as his knees shook. Why? Why was he so tired and weak? He hadn't felt this physically worn down for years, since before he had met Aniki. He looked down at his feet and couldn't help but scowl, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

His coat wasn't supposed to be touching the ground. At most, it was to be somewhere around his ankles. And just as it felt, the article of clothing did look unnaturally baggy. Almost as if...

The cold hard truth hit him and he paled, lifting a hand and staring at slim fingers he had only seen in his youth. No. This was impossible.

_Impossible? You of all people should know that nothing is impossible._

He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought, shaking his head softly. "I thought I was done with such... oddities when I ended up here." Ah, that voice. So soft and young. It only further confirmed his suspicions.

He had shrunk. Somehow, he had lost who knew how many years and was younger again. About thirteen or fourteen if he had to guess. Odd how calm he was. Maybe it just hadn't fully sunken in yet. Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention and he blinked, looking towards the source.

A butterfly, pink and yellow and silver, perched on the wall and lazily opening and shutting its wings. Well now... he hadn't seen one of those for quite a while. In fact, he hadn't seen them since... Gently he held out a hand, watching as it flew to perch on his finger as a calming aura surrounded him. "Where'd you come from?" As expected, there was no reply, save for the insect flying off and vanishing from sight. What had that been about? Was it a sign?

He needed to find Aniki.

Lowering his hands, he glanced around him before inhaling and placing his hands to his heart. He hadn't used IT in years. There had been no need to with Aniki around. As he tapped into the unused, yet so very familiar power he couldn't help but sigh at how... right it felt. Like a guilty pleasure he constantly denied himself. Once he had enough of the power gathered, he smiled.

"PSI Lifeup Beta," he whispered, the long neglected words odd on his tongue. A green light glowed for a few seconds and, once it died away, the migraine and exhaustion had vanished completely. Checking his pocket for his wallet, he then looked up to the barely visible stars, thinking up a plan of action. Clothes. Then getting a decent night's rest before finding out what had happened to him and where Aniki was.

He nodded and started walking.

xXx

He had received quite a few looks when he walked into the store. Then again, he didn't really blame them; It wasn't everyday a young teen walked into a store in the middle of the night wearing a coat much too large for him. Still, the coat was becoming unbearably heavy from the rain and he had no idea how long he was going to be looking for Aniki. It was best to be prepared.

A journey from long ago had taught him that lesson.

As he wandered the store, searching for the one section he needed, a woman walked up to him and scowled before covering it up with an obviously fake smile. "May I help you?"

"N-No thanks."

The smile vanish as she snorted and walked off. If Aniki had been here, he would have frowned at such disrespect. He however shrugged it off, too timid to protest. Not being good with girls didn't help either... Finally he spotted what he needed and started looking through the selection of shirts they held when one in particular caught his eye.

It was a t-shirt, horizontally striped in blue, red, and white. As he ponder why this design in particular had grabbed his interest, his eyes wandered to a pair of blue jean shorts hanging nearby. Slowly it hit him and he couldn't help but smile in a strange sense of nostalgia.

His old outfit. Before he had become a member of the Organization.

Without a second thought he grabbed the shirt and shorts, scanning the area before grabbing an orange neckerchief from a shelf as well. He wasn't exactly sure why he was recreating his old outfit from before. Perhaps it was for a sense of security, preparing for the moment the realization of his situation dawned on him and the panic set in. Now however he needed those blue sneakers. The shoe isle couldn't be that far from here. Walking in a direction he hope was correct, he paused as he passed a sporting goods isle, eyeing a bat before grabbing that as well. He felt safe with some sort of weapon and he knew a child his age would not be allowed a gun.

Once he had gathered everything he needed, including a backpack for supplies he would buy in the morning, he walked to the checkout, depositing his items. The man eyed the shorts curiously, looking at him soon after. "You do know it's fall right?"

"I like shorts." The man opened his mouth to reply before shutting it. Time passed by for a while before he spoke up again. "Anything else, boy?"

"... That baseball hat too, please."

"Alright..." The total was rung up and he quickly handed the man some cash before grabbing his purchases and ducking into the bathroom to change, glad that no one else seemed to be around. First things first, he emptied his pockets into the front of his backpack, unable to hold back a scowl. His phone was missing. Had he left it somewhere? Or had someone taken it? Regardless, there wasn't much he could do about that. At least he still had his inhaler and ATM card.

Zipping the pouch closed, he then proceed to undo the front of his wet trench coat. As he started to peel off the coat though, he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror and froze.

The young face of Ninten Kaspar, a boy he thought long dead, stared back.

He felt his arms shake as he grimaced. _No. Relax. Don't let it get to you yet. You can't break down here. Change, find someplace to stay, maybe even use a payphone to call Aniki's cell, since yours is missing._ Still, he bit his lip as the coat, then the suit came off and was then replaced by his new clothes. He looked at the wet pile of clothing and tried to decide what to do with it, in the end deciding to toss them. They were ruined anyway. Forcing himself to take deep, calming breaths, he shoved the clothes into his bag to throw out later.

A loud gunshot shattered the silence.

His entire body tensed, eyes widening as someone screamed. It wasn't that he was unfamiliar with guns. Over the years in the Organization, he had used them quite a bit. Had even killed, though not as much as his partner. However, he was also used to being able to flee the scene before anyone noticed and, judging by how close the gunshot had been, there was a high chance there was a dead body outside the bathroom he was in. Even worse, he could already hear the wail of sirens approaching, a sound that always made him anxious.

_They won't suspect a kid though... Right?_

He swallowed, pulling his backpack on and grabbing his bat before peaking out. Sure enough, there was a body, the woman he had seen before with the forced smile. Officers were already at the scene and he swallowed before reluctantly walking out. No sooner had the door swung shut when a taller man, wearing a blue suit and sporting a moderately sized mustache, looked up and marched toward his direction, stopping right in front of him and leaning right into his face. "Oi! Can't you see this is a crime scene?"

He backed away slightly, nose wrinkling as he smelled alcohol and cigarettes on the man's breathe. For some reason, he could feel his throat constricting, his lips quivering as he found himself unable to speak. What was wrong with him? While he had some difficulty talking to strangers, he was usually able to at least mumble a reply if someone asked him a question. As the man continued to glare at him, he bit his lip, backing against the wall behind him in an attempt to escape that grey eyed stare. If only he had his sunglasses. Then he'd be able to try to ignore it.

"Otousan! Stop it, you're scaring him!"

"Well? What the hell are you doing here?" the man barked, ignoring the feminine voice behind him. He could feel his eyes start to sting, his vision starting to shimmer. Oh Player, he... he wasn't starting to cry, was he? He was better than this! He was Vodka, one of the top agents for the Organization! Or, at least, he had been. Now he was just a young, lost teen stuck in a crime scene and being stared down by a man who towered over him. After hours of dodging and avoiding the situation, the full extent of everything that had happened hit him as he shuddered and clamped his eyes shut to avoid the inevitable tears to no avail.

He didn't expect a pair of strong arms to embrace him, nor a soft voice cooing to him in comfort. Flinching in confusion, he parted a brown eye to see a young woman bending down to his level, her blue eyes narrowed at the man from before who was now grinning as he chuckled nervously. "R-Ran..."

"How could you! He's only a kid!"

The man, this girl's father, snorted before pointing in his face. "He shouldn't be snooping around the crime scene! Bad enough the brat is always under my feet, I don't need another nosy kid getting in my way!"

"That's no reason to scare him!"

Her father huffed before storming off, shoving his hands in his pockets as he returned to the crime scene. Once the threat was gone, he realized he was trembling, the tears streaming down his face. For the first time he was glad Aniki was nowhere to be found. The idea of the blonde seeing him this upset was a horrifying thought. Something brushed against his cheek, interrupting his thoughts, and he blinked up to see the girl from before dabbing at his face with a handkerchief. She had to be in her late teens judging by her face. And her long brown hair and bright blue eyes suited her nicely.

Finally noticing his staring, the girl smiled, a warm and friendly gesture much different from what he was used to from women. "Are you ok?" Not trusting his voice, he nodded and the smile brightened as she continued. "What's your name?"

He sighed, glad that his name was practically untraceable here. "K-Kaspar. Kaspar Ninten."

"Kaspar Ninten?" He nodded again. "That's an... interesting name."

"Y-You can c-call me Ninten... If-If you want." He could feel his cheeks heat up as he stuttered, wringing the bat in his hands and he looked at the floor. He wished he was better at dealing with girls. Her giggling at how flustered he was getting only made it worse.

"So what are you doing out so late, Ninten-kun?" His grip on the bat tightened as he bit his lip. Slowly, her smile morphed into a frown. "Are... Are you lost?" For the third time he nodded, hating how the simple motion was becoming a habit. The girl hummed and tapped her chin, deep in thought before the smile returned. "Are you hungry? Otousan's office isn't too far of a walk from here."

He remained quiet, thinking over the offer. Come to think of it, he was a little hungry, unable to remember the last time he had eaten. And maybe, if this girl didn't mind, he could stay with her family for the night and borrow their phone in the morning to call Aniki. Mind now decided, he looked up and allowed himself a small smile. "I-I would really appreciate that, maam."

"Call me Ran," she stated, standing up straight and offering a hand. He hesitated briefly before taking it, following as Ran led him out of the building and into the night. The rain from before had finally died down it seemed and his new companion let go of his hand to clasp her own, staring at the sky. "The stars are out!"

He was about to look up when he spotted a butterfly similar to the one before, maybe even the same one. As Ran stared into the stars, he gently caught the insect, once again enjoying the calm aura the magical creature emitted. Still, he couldn't help the scowl that overtook his lips as he looked at it, barely noticing as Ran started walking off as he lifted his hand to the sky. "What are you doing here anyway? Why are you in a world with no psionic energy?"

"Ninten-kun? Are you coming?"

The butterfly flew away as Ninten hurried to her side.


	2. Fight or Flight

_He thought he was dead. No one could survive an attack that strong. He had put all his strength into it, knowing that it would rebound and hit him._

_How was he alive?_

_It hurt so much. He was sure he was blind in one eye, his arm and leg unable to move, his entire body screaming in agony._

_How had it come down to this?_

_She had called to him. Reached out. Invited him into her arms. Yet when he made it to her, something called him back. She had let go and whispered words he couldn't remember._

_What did she say?_

_Footsteps. He could hear footsteps. A pair of shoes fell into his line of sight. A worried voice spoke in a language he couldn't understand._

_"M-Mom..."_

_The world went dark._

xXx

Lucas Locke had no idea where he was.

The young blonde teen lay on the ground, not having moved since laying there in defeat about an hour ago. Tears stained his cheeks and he curled up more as he whimpered pathetically. So much had happened over the past few days, too much for the timid, emotional boy to handle, and waking up in an unfamiliar place had crossed the line. He thought his journey had made him stronger, but in the end it had seemingly broken him. He thought pulling the final Needle would make things better when so far things were even worse.

Where were his friends? Where was the tomboyish Kumatora? Where was the kind-hearted thief Duster? Where was his faithful dog Boney?

He sobbed, blue eyes clenching shut against the unfamiliar world around him. He'd lost so much already. His mother... lifestyle... brother... Why did he have to lose his friends too? Why was the world so heartless and cruel? All he wanted was for his small island home to go back to the way it was, before Happy Boxes and Dragon Points and cars and greasy foods. For his mother and brother to be alive, his family whole again and laughing as they ate omelets together. For a normal life.

What went wrong? He'd pulled the final Needle like he was supposed to, despite how much he wanted to hug his twin's lifeless body and mourn his death with his injured father. The world had shook like it did with every other Needle, had thrown him to the ground as the Dark Dragon stirred. Only this time, the world didn't settle. This time the tremors lasted longer and he had thought he heard a roar before everything just... vanished. Ceased to exist as consciousness left him. He had dreamed then, dreamed of fire and lightning and tornadoes ravaging the land, before everything in the dream faded and he had heard a voice he couldn't make out.

Then he had woken up here.

Something landed on his nose, a feather light sensation that nearly made him sneeze. A sense of calm banished the storm of emotions in his heart, his eyes half opening to stare at the magic butterfly who had provided him a small amount of comfort. Once it had sensed that he was relaxed, it fluttered its wings and flew away, the blonde finally sitting up and rubbing at his face once it was out of sight. While he was still upset, he felt strangely refreshed; he would never understand how the psionic insects were so powerful.

After a few shaky breathes, Lucas stood, looking around himself. There were trees surrounding him, but he could see what looked like houses in the distance, some of their windows glowing a soft yellow with artificial light. Wiping his face one last time, he then cupped his hands over his mouth, figuring that it was worth another try despite his failure earlier...

"Kumatora!"

No answer.

"Duster!"

No answer.

"Boney!"

No answer.

"Dad!"

Still no answer. He choked back another sob, resisting the urge to lay down and break into tears again, instead sitting and hugging his knees. "Where are you..."

A twig snapped and he instinctively rose to his feet, grabbing a nearby stick as he scanned the surrounding darkness. Silence followed, a tense atmosphere settling in the air as the timid boy felt and heard his heart racing in his chest. He knew something was watching him, could feel the stare of hostile eyes, and he tightly gripped the stick in his hands, grateful that he at least had the weapon that had served him well his entire journey.

With a blood chilling roar, the beast leaped at him, its impossibly large mouth filled with so many teeth it would put a shark to shame. Lucas squeaked in terror upon recognizing it, barely dodging and taking off into the forest, knowing that despite everything he had gone through, battling this pink skinned monster was a lost cause. There was a skidding sound and mere seconds after, he could hear the thing roar again before giving chase. He still didn't know what sort of animals had gone into the making of the Ultimate Chimera, but he did know one thing; it would never cease until it had torn him to shreds.

Branches scraped against his arms and face as he ran, his breath loud in his ears. He didn't know where exactly he was going, unfamiliar as he was with his surroundings, but he couldn't let that slow him down, lest the horrifying thing behind him catch up. His mind thought back to the first encounter, how it had cornered him and Boney, how he could smell the blood and decay on its breath as it roared in his face and lunged forward for the kill. If not for the bravery of a little monkey named Salsa leaping onto the beast's back and pressing the out of place button between its massive shoulders, he would have never made it to his first Needle. When the Ultimate Chimera had collapsed, its golden eyes a dull yellow, he had thought it was dead.

Yet days later, on the quest to the final Needle guarded by the cause of all his misfortune, it had returned. He had been forced into a maze of restrooms and one wrong turn had led to a reunion with that massive grin that promised a painful death. With Salsa nowhere in sight to save him, he and his companions had fled, desperately searching for the right path and racing into the elevators right as the monster had caught up and nearly took Lucas' leg in its tooth filled jaws. He had been horrified to find it very much alive, but had relaxed upon thinking he had escaped it for good this time around.

And now it was back, still eager to taste his blood.

Suddenly he found himself falling, arms instinctively flying in front of him to catch his body as he landed with a sharp gasp. He could hear his stick land a few feet in front of him as he hurriedly glanced at the culprit, an exposed tree root that had tripped him up. Scrambling to his feet, his eyes grew wide in terror as the Ultimate Chimera charged towards him at full speed, its jaws open wide and saliva dripping from its blood stained teeth... His mind raced and he hurriedly lifted his hands, begging for this psionic energy to gather in time. "PSI Shield Alpha!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth when the thing leaped at him, only to crash into a force field and end up skidding clumsily a few feet away. The shield of psionic energy buckled violently from the collision, flashing a brief teal before shattering and causing Lucas to wince from the recoil. If only he had had more time to gather his power, he would have been able to make a stronger barrier that would have lasted at least another blow. However, now was not the time to wish; Now was the time to act. Before the chimera could recover fully, he retrieved his stick and braced himself, swallowing his fears and trying to act as brave as his missing companions. As much as it pained him, he had to face the hard cold truth. He was alone now and had to fend for himself.

The Ultimate Chimera snarled, flapping small, purple bat-like wings as it circled him. He could almost sense its confusion, wondering when its prey had decided to stand his ground when earlier he had been running for his life, how the fear had vanished to be replaced by confidence, even if it was shaky and fragile. The timid boy couldn't help but give a weak smile. "I-I know running is useless. I'm lost and you'll catch up when I'm tired." He wasn't sure if it could understand him, but one of its pointed ears twitched as if listening. He gulped, grip on his stick tightening. "I-I just have to push the button on your back. Then you'll turn off again. At least long enough for me to get away."

It continued circling him, growling intimidatingly. He resisted the urge to shudder and trailed it with his eyes, not once looking away. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest as the tension in the air thickened, both beings waiting for the other to make a move. A cool breeze ruffled blonde hair and Lucas inhaled, raising a hand and flinging it at the beast. "PK Love Beta!" As the words were yelled, a blast of teal, lavender, and pink color flew towards the chimera, which cried out before leaping at him again. This time he was ready, dodging to the right and holding out his arm. "PSI Shield Alpha!"

This time he was able to strengthen the psionic shield before the monster attacked, its claws raking against the force field and making it ripple briefly before going invisible again. Before it could strike again, he lashed out with his stick, hitting it over the head then swiftly leaping out of its reach. His efforts were in vain however, as he had only managed to anger it rather than harm it. As it released a bone chilling roar, he whimpered and bit his lip.

_Stay strong. What would Kumatora do?_

He dodged as the chimera charged again, eyes focused on the grey metallic button on its back. The tomboyish princess would probably be grinning cockily and throwing elemental PSI at it, distracting it while Duster or Boney tried to reach that button and Lucas provided defensive backup.. Slowly, a small smirk graced his lips, his hand once again rising as he waited for the Ultimate Chimera to run at him again. He had a plan of sorts forming. All he had to do was time it right. As the monster came closer, he took a shaky breath and focus his power. "PK Flash!"

A bright light filled the small area and Lucas quickly averted his gaze and stepped to the side. The beast however was not as lucky, the unexpected light temporarily blinding it and causing it to scream in pain. As it passed, the boy jammed his stick into the button, grateful when he managed to succeed in his small window of opportunity. With a final roar, the Ultimate Chimera stumbled to a stop before falling, its eyes dulling once more.

He had done it. By being as courageous as his friends he had managed to outwit the chimera and defeat it all by himself. Maybe, just maybe, this journey had made him stronger after all. Casting one last look at the beast, he turned to leave...

A flutter of wings, followed closely by a click.

His heart froze, breath catching in his throat. Time seemed to slow as a low, angry growl filled the once silent air, and he turned to see a sight he didn't want to see.

The Ultimate Chimera glared at him, golden eyes narrowed in rage. Perched on its head was a small yellow bird, which ruffled its feathers before flying to a nearby tree. He recognized it and took a step back in terror, realizing how the beast had managed to survive the first encounter. That bird... That horrible bird was a backup, somehow designed or programmed to turn the chimera back on should someone shut it off. A chill went down the blonde's spine as he stared helplessly, watching as the monster took a few shaky steps forward before breaking into a run.

The first attack, a swipe of claws, shattered his weakened psionic shield. The second attack, a flash of large teeth, hit their mark. Lucas screamed, feeling the thing's teeth sink into his side, ripping into sensitive skin as blood soaked his red and yellow striped shirt. He didn't know if the bite had hit any internal organs, but there was no doubt in his mind that blood loss was going to claim his life. The Ultimate Chimera bit harder, causing the blonde to scream again as he fell to the ground and tears of pain filled his eyes._ I'm going to die.** I'm going to die.**_ He shut his eyes, not wanting to see the end, not wanting to accept this.

A woman's scream, followed by a man shouting in a language that sounded unfamiliar. The beast paused in its torture, its jaws slackening slightly before it dropped him completely and stepped on his head with a possessive growl. A predator defending its kill. Blue eyes opened weakly, vision cloudy as he tried to see what was going on. He could feel his blood pooling around him and knew that if he didn't act quickly, if he didn't heal himself, he was going to bleed out and die. Consciousness was failing him though and he whimpered.

Footsteps were the last thing he heard as he passed out.

xXx

He could hear a male voice speaking, using a language he couldn't understand. His side hurt, a dull ache that seemed to pulse with his heartbeat, and something warm and soft had been wrapped around his body. Despite the pain, Lucas couldn't help but feel cozy, sighing as he shifted under what had to be blankets. Any minute now, Claus would wake him up for breakfast...

Claus was dead.

He shuddered as his mind slowly cleared, memories rushing back before he jolted up straight with a sharp gasp. The Ultimate Chimera. He had been fighting it, only for it to... Wincing, the teen looked down at his chest, noticing that his shirt was missing and someone had taken the time to bandage his wounds. With shaky fingers he traced the white cloth, biting his lip as he found spots more sensitive than others. A morbid curiosity hit him and he reached for a tucked end before a hand suddenly took his wrist, a stern voice snapping in that language from earlier. Blue eyes blinked and looked up.

A boy, probably a few years older than him. His skin was tanned, looking rather dark compared to Lucas' fair white skin, and his eyes stood out with their blue color. He was wearing a green and white cap and the timid boy could see some strands of spiky brown hair sticking out of the sides. As Lucas continued to stare, the stranger let go of his wrist and stood, adjusting something in his hands as he continued talking. After a few seconds of confusion, the blonde recognized it as a phone, something that had been introduced to his village along with money and Happy Boxes.

The older teen snapped the phone shut and muttered something, a palm meeting his face. Pocketing the phone he left, leaving Lucas by himself to scan his surroundings. He was on the floor of what seemed to be a bedroom, sunlight streaming in from an open window. Judging by the intensity of its rays it was around mid-day and he briefly wondered how long he had been out.

"Oi!"

He jumped and turned to see that the boy had returned, a steaming bowl in his hands. At the sight of potential food, the blonde's stomach rumbled and he blushed in embarrassment. Either not knowing or caring, the stranger lowered to his level and spoke to him. All Lucas could do was stare pathetically back, biting his lip as the boy growled in irritation and repeated himself in a louder voice. He could feel his blush worsen as he gripped the blankets covering him. "I-I don't understand."

Blue eyes widened in realization. "Oh! You speak English!"

"Eh-English?" What was English? He spoke the language everyone on the Nowhere Islands spoke.

The boy nodded, handing him the bowl and a pair of small sticks. "I thought you looked foreign. What's your name?"

He awkwardly picked up the sticks, unsure of what to do with them before hunger got the best of him and he merely picked up the bowl, treating it like one would a cup. Once half the broth in the bowl was gone he wiped his mouth on his wrist. "L-Lucas." The stranger gave him an odd look and he averted his gaze. "Lucas L-Locke."

"Ah." The tan boy scratched the back of his neck before offering a hand. "Hato... er, Heiji Hatori." When Lucas didn't take it, Heiji shrugged and took the abandoned bowl and sticks. "You should rest up, Locke. Whatever that thing was took a pretty bad bite out of you."

Lucas nodded and laid back down, watching as Heiji left and wondering what the future held as his eyes once again closed.


	3. A Surprise Detour

_"'ello!"_

_The chubby blonde blinked and looked up from the homework he was frantically trying to finish, his bangs hanging messily in front of brown eyes. The onyx eyed speaker blushed shyly, a hand extended in greeting. Silence fell, the blonde merely staring, the smaller child waiting._

_"Who are you?" the larger boy snapped, his voice taking on a defensive edge. The stranger wasn't even phased._

_"'m Ness. Ness Obdenson. 'm new 'eeya."_

_The blonde continued staring, gaze suspicious and weary. In response, the smaller one giggled, flashing the other a smile._

_"Weeya neighboes, 'ight?"_

_"Wait, you with the guys that moved next door?"_

_"Yeah!"_

_A pause. Slowly the overweight boy hesitantly took the hand that was offered._

_"Porky. Porky Minch."_

_The bell rang, signalling the beginning of class, and much to the surprise of the blonde, his new neighbor sat next to him._

xXx

"Would you like mo'a bacon, sweetie?"

The raven haired youth swallowed a mouthful of eggs, glancing at the speaker with tired onyx eyes. "No sanks, mom. 'm good."

"If you say so." His mother smiled and sat with her children, digging into her own food now that they were settled. "So any pans today, Ness?"

Ness swallowed again. "Meetin' wiss Poo again. Mo'a PSI tainin'."

"You'a always meetin' wiss Poo," a young girl muttered, giving Ness a pout. "Don' you wanna pay wiss you'a little sista?"

Ness laughed, placing his now empty plate in the sink. "Next week, ok T'acy? 'm so cose 'ight now! I can feel it!"

"Juss be back in time foe dinna, sweetie," their mother stated, delicately scooping some egg into her mouth. "You'a fasa is sir 'e'll be 'ome tonight."

"Ok!" Ness hurriedly rinsed his plate and ran upstairs, sliding into his room and shutting his door behind him. Taking in the mess of clothes and a few scattered baseball cards, the young teen then dug through his drawers and pulled out his favorite outfit, a pair of blue jean shorts and a blue and yellow striped shirt. As he shed his pajama shirt he paused, staring at his reflection in a mirror while running a hand through messy black hair. "Mm... Sowa. Sowa, sen leabe."

A few minutes later and he was existing the bathroom, towel drying his hair and stepping to the side as Tracy chased a whining King down the hall. He'd forgotten it was bath day. Hopefully Tracy would be able to handle the old dog while he was in Dalaam for the day. The boy chuckled at the sight of a soaked and sulking little sister as he entered his room again, grabbing his backpack and a worn baseball bat before making his way downstairs. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs his mother hugged him, an action followed by a peck on the cheek. "Good luck, Ness."

He smiled and returned the gesture. "Lub you mom." He then stepped back, waving over his shoulder as he left the house. "See you lata!"

"Bye sweetie!"

Once outside, Ness Ofdenson inhaled before sighing, taking in the sight of his hometown below him. He had always loved how his house was situated on a hill, providing him with a bird's eye view of Onett. When he had been younger, he had enjoyed watching the ant-sized people walking through the streets, their miniature vehicles driving on seemingly fixed courses. It was hard to believe that mere months ago, the city had been on lockdown and peaceful hills had been over run with savage animals and strange metallic creatures. The boy glanced further up the hill and, before long, Ness found himself scaling it until he could see the cause of the earlier chaos.

A meteor, now a cold and grey-black lump of rock under the bright sun. This was where his journey had started almost a year ago, where he had met the not-a-bee Buzz Buzz and had been told of his destiny...

Ness shook his head, giving the meteor one last look before leaving to find a more open area. Once found, he took a deep breath, focusing on the psionic power within and where he wanted to go. When he was ready, he crouched. "PSI Teleport Beta." He took off, running in circles, gradually widening the circles as the familiar ringing filled his ears and the world blurred and shifted around him. A preschool, a graveyard, a towering building, snow... Finally a flash of pink and he dug his heels in the ground, skidding to a stop as the ringing died down.

The world around him was much different from Onett. The once clear skies were now filled with fluffy pink clouds, the ground beneath his feet worn down from a path used for countless years. A palace stood tall and proud on his left, twin elephants flanking its entrance. Rather than enter the extravagant building, Ness instead walked down the path, ignoring the silk clad women and men scattered along it who would give him curious looks. Part of him felt that the natives of Dalaam should be used to a capped foreigner walking around once or twice a week by now. Then again, he was the only foreigner that could reach Dalaam whenever he wanted.

Taking the left fork in the path, Ness climbed a series of ropes leading up a cliff face, stopping when he reached the top and found himself in front of an older teen in a white martial arts outfit. He slowly sat down, quietly waiting to be acknowledged rather than interrupting the other boy's meditation. Minutes later, a violet eye opened, its owner not even moving from his cross-legged pose. "Master Ness."

"Prince Poo."

The eye closed, Poo once again slipping into a semi-trance before speaking again. "You wish to continue?"

"Yes."

"You do know the Star Master would be delighted to teach you. You do not need to learn the Starstorm from me."

Ness grinned, imitating Poo's pose and closing his own eyes. "I'd rasa lahn fom you."

Somehow he knew Poo was smiling, a small thing that tended to be rare since Poo was in tight control of his emotions most of the time. "Very well. We begin with an hour long meditation, as usual."

"Way a'ead ob you," Ness murmured, allowing his mind to empty. Silence fell, a soft breeze ruffling the hair poking out from under his cap. At first, when he had come to Poo to learn more about psionics, Ness had fallen asleep during meditation sessions. Poo had scolded him and it had been embarrassing when the Dalaam prince's own master had joined in. Days later though, he had adjusted and the look of pride on his friend's face had been worth it.

A memory drifted into his subconscious, an overweight blonde smiling with a similar look of pride as a large hand ruffled his hair. Biting his lip he shoved it away, trying to pretend it had never happened, that the memory didn't exist. They weren't friends. They never had been friends. Friends didn't betray each other, didn't reject each other for being different...

"You are in turmoil, Master Ness."

He shook his head. "Sah-ee Poo. Bad sought."

"Do you wish to discuss it?"

"N-No."

Poo gave a thoughtful hum, but did not push further. The onyx eyed boy couldn't help but smile in gratitude. Paula Polestar would have nagged at him to confide his feelings with her, while Jeff Andonuts would have tried to find out what was wrong by staring intensely at him. Poo however allowed him his privacy, waiting for Ness to come to him rather than dig.

Time passed before Poo stood, offering Ness a hand that the younger boy took. "Now we move on to the summoning of the stars. Are you sure you wish to proceed?"

Ness nodded, taking the hand. This was the hardest part. After finally learning to meditate, Ness had been told that he needed to focus his psionics to the skies above and summon the starstorm to him. It was a difficult and exhausting process, having to send massive amounts of psionic power away from him and molding it into the characteristic meteor shower that earned it its name. The end of his first star summoning, Ness had nearly collapsed on his feet and hadn't summoned a single star.

This time would be different though. He was sure of it. Inhaling deeply, Ness raised his hands above his head, allowing the psionic energy to leave his body and enter the sky. Closing his eyes he concentrated on it, shaping it with his mind and imagining stars and planets before calling it back. "PK... Stahstome Alpha!"

He waited, eyes opening and looking to the pink clouded sky for a trace of success. Minutes later, Poo shook his head. "You failed to break the energy and scatter it, instead keeping it whole. It became unstable when you tried to shape it and imploded before you could call it back." The older boy paused, tapping his chin. "You did send out the right amount of energy this time around though. The problem seems to be that you cannot feel it well enough to know it's scattered enough to shape. Perhaps a longer meditation time, centered around focusing on your psionic energy, will fix the problem."

"I wanna tie again. I can do it! 'onest!"

"Very well. Once more."

Ness nodded, determined as he closed his eyes and raised his arms...

A scream shattered the tranquility of the air, an explosion soon after. Both psychics stared at each other before looking down at the land mass below, eyes widening.

Strange beasts were running through the land, their bodies consisting of different combined animal parts. Scattered among them were robots, some resembling animals and others that had to be seen to be believed. The most shocking thing lay in the distance, a towering machine that stood tall right next to the palace Ness had appeared in front of. The capped boy couldn't help but back away slightly, a chill settling down his spine before fists clenched in rage and he growled.

"Pokey."

"So he finally returns," Poo stated, remaining calm despite his homeland being so mercilessly attacked. "Though where did these... things come from?"

"'oo cayas? Let's juss beat sem and demand an expanason aftawahds!"

"It would be wiser to leave his army to Dalaam's guards and focus on him ourselves. My people are capable of fending for themselves. I have faith in them."

"Watteva, let's go!" Before the prince could respond Ness was climbing down, making it to the bottom in minutes and rushing through the chaos. A chicken headed snake lashed out at him and he dodged, pulling his baseball bat out of its place strapped to his backpack and hitting the thing away. Beside him Poo had launched an icy psionic attack at a orangutan with a walrus head, freezing it in place. All the while the two boys kept running, only pausing to clear enemies in their way before attacking again. Just as Poo had claimed, the guards of Dalaam were holding the enemies off well. Ness couldn't help but think it was too easy.

In no time the two had made it past the monsters, finding themselves in front of the giant machine. In looked slightly different from the last time Ness had seen it, its main body now rectangular instead of round, the legs longer and their tips much sharper, its color now a metallic purple instead of a steel grey. Regardless, it was the same spider mech and Ness was certain he knew who was behind the controls. His grip on his bat tightened. "Pokey!"

Silence greeted him, the device remaining still. Poo scowled, eyes narrowing. "Something is wrong here. Be on guard, Master-"

With a yell Ness charged forward, readying his bat. As if in response the main body lowered to the young teen's level, its glass front flashing briefly. Ness leaped into the air and swung his bat into the metal with all his might, the glass opened almost immediately afterwards and revealed an empty cockpit. Confused by the lack of his enemy, the capped psychic stumbled as he landed, Poo quickly running to his side to steady him. "Waya... Waya seh 'ell is Pokey?"

"I don not like the looks of this, Master Ness. Perhaps it would be wise to attack from a distance."

"But waya-" The machine rumbled, a series of panels in the cockpit sliding down. Onyx eyes barely had time to register what had happened before metal cables shot toward Ness, latching onto him and dragging him into the machine's interior. As the shock wore off he struggled, resisting the urge to scream.

"Master Ness!" Poo exclaimed, rushing forward and leaping up into the cockpit. The Dalaam prince tugged as hard as he could at the constricting cables, failing to notice as the glass lowered and trapped the two psychics within. Numbers raced across the glass' surface and the entire machine shook, a countdown initiating as a pale green gas filled the small area.

The last thing Ness saw before slipping into unconsciousness was a flashing pink pig snout insignia.

xXx

"Master Ness? Master Ness, are you awake?"

The raven haired teen moaned, eyes opening into slits before closing against the sun. There was a nasty taste in the back of his throat, just noticeable to annoy without inducing vomiting, and his head felt light and fuzzy. He briefly wondered if this is what a hangover was like, vowing that if it was he would never touch alcohol in his life. Conscious continued to return and Ness gradually became aware of a dull crackling noise and some sort of burnt smell, prompting him to shakily sit up and squint at his surroundings.

He was in a clearing of some sort, a thick forest surrounding him on all sides. In front of him was the Dalaam prince, his face melting from worried to relieved upon seeing Ness was ok. The younger teen rubbed at his eyes before glancing behind him, blinking at the wreck that had once been the spider mech. "Watt 'appened?"

"I am not entirely sure, Master Ness. I awoke sometime before you, but we were in this place when I awoke. Though if you are referring to the device, that was my doing. I had to break us out of its interior, then used a PK Starstorm Omega to immobilize it before it had the chance to catch us off guard again."

"Smaht moob." Slowly Ness stood up fully, looking for something familiar that would clue him in to their location. The only thing he immediately recognized was a psionic butterfly, however those were rather common and didn't help. "We don' seem to be in Dalaam..."

Poo nodded, crossing his arms and closing violet eyes in thought. "Obviously that device teleported us. The question is, if we are not in Dalaam, then where are we? And on top of that, why did it take us out of Dalaam? Was it part of a plan to get us away from the battle? Were we brought here for a reason?" His eyes blinked open before glancing back at Ness. "Can you feel any 'Your Sanctuary' locations nearby? That is, if you still possess the ability to feel them."

The capped boy hurriedly closed his eyes, his mind reaching out to the feeling of calm and tranquility of his 'Your Sanctuaries', listening for the melody he had collected what felt like ages ago... Wincing in shock he gasped, eyes going wide. "I-I don' feel sem. Any of sem. Not eben a faint tace. Eben if we wuh on seh osa side ob seh panet I'd be abo to feel somesin'." He bit his lip, nervously scanning for something familiar again. As if sensing his distress, the butterfly flew over and settled on the brim of his hat. Why couldn't he feel his 'Your Sanctuaries'?

The older boy scowled. "Maybe your psionics were blocked? Use something. PK Rockin, maybe."

"PK 'ockin!" Ness yelled, throwing a hand out in front of him. Instantly a wave of red, blue, and yellow light danced in front of his, frightening a few birds that had been in a nearby tree. Grinning at the successful attack the raven hair boy relaxed, watching as the butterfly flew towards the wreckage of the spider mech and settled again. At least he still had access to his powers. A thought struck him. "Let's tie telepotin'. Maybe it's juss sis pace sat's bocking me fom feelin' my 'You'a Sanctuahies'."

"I will try first." Poo walked to the middle of the clearing, making sure he had room before readying himself. "PSI Teleport Beta!" The prince then took off, running faster and faster before suddenly stopping in his tracks. He scowled again. "How odd... I have never had trouble with teleporting before. I could not even see the locations that I wished to go to."

"Sen let's go somewaya else and tie. Sis pace muss bock telepote too."

Poo nodded in agreement and walked into the wood, Ness soon joining at his side.


	4. Reading the Signs

_The world was spinning when he came to, his battered body throbbing from the battle with the strange machine that had ambushed and attacked him. A voice, a little girl's, was speaking in a language he'd never heard before, small hands gripping his shoulders and shaking him. Slowly, the meaning became clear._

_Are you alright?_

_Slowly he sat up, moaning as he grabbing his head. His cap was gone, though he thought he could see it in the hands of another child, this one older and around his age. He couldn't tell if this one was male or female. The voice from before had stopped and its owner cocked her head at him, babbling in that foreign language. With a nervous smile he hoped was friendly, he finally responded._

_"I-I'm fine. A bit sore, but fine."_

_The girl blinked before grinning, turning to her friend and saying something quickly before turning back to him. "You speak English!"_

_He scowled. "English? What's that?"_

_"What you're speaking!"_

_"No, I speak Eaglelandian… Wait, where am I?"_

_The girl's blue-green eyes narrowed as she scowled in confusion. "You're in Japan." Slowly she cocked her head again. "What's Eaglelandian?" Before he could answer her grin returned. "What's your name?"_

_Japan… He'd never heard of a place like that before… He frowned before shaking it off, once again smiling. "I'm Ninten."_

_"I'm Shiho! And he's Aniki."_

xXx

Ninten woke up to sun shining right in his face, the sound of traffic already noticeable in the streets below. With a tired yawn the shrunken male sat up and rubbed at an eye while inspecting his surroundings. A combination of living room and office, a desk situated in front of a wall of windows and shelves lining a wall to his right. Nobody seemed to be up yet, or if they were up they didn't seem to be in the apartment complex.

He sighed, running a hand through his messy, short black hair. He'd really lucked out when he'd run into the girl. What was her name again? Ran? Yes, that was it. He shook his head as he remembered her smile, her kindness and acceptance. "She wouldn't last one day in our life, Aniki," the small agent mumbled softly, staring out the window at the city surrounding him. He wondered briefly where his partner was…

Something leaped into his lap and he looked down, blinking at the small, dusty blue kitten that looked at him with bright green eyes. Before he could stop himself he smiled and scratched its ears. "And what would your name be?"

The kitten purred, closing its eyes at the touch. Glancing around the room again, Ninten inhaled and stared at the cat, allowing his psionic energy to gather as he activated his long ignored telepathy to read the animal's mind. ("This feels so nice… Goro-chan could sit here all day and have this human kitten scratch his ears…")

"Goro-chan, huh?" He grinned, watching as the kitten's eyes fluttered open and gazed at him curiously. Despite not using his telepathy in years, he still seemed to have a natural knack for it, a talent he no doubt got from his great grandmother. With a chuckle, he scratched Goro's ears again. "Don't be afraid. I just happen to be able to read animal minds."

("Really?") the kitten 'said', cocking his head slightly before meowing in what Ninten took to be a happy way. ("No one's ever been able to understand Goro-chan before! Not even Ran-sama! Only Eri-sama is close and she doesn't listen very well sometimes.")

"It's a human thing," Ninten stated, shrugging lightly before picking up the kitten and standing. "You mind showing me around? When Ran-san brought me here, I sort of fell asleep immediately."

("Goro-chan would love to show you around!") Goro leaped out of his hands, tail swishing back and forth as he sat up on his hind legs and gazed at the human again. ("What is your name?")

"Ninten."

("Ninten-sama! Goro-chan will make sure to remember that!") Making a motion similar to a nod the kitten walked off, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure Ninten was following. A few minutes later and the tour was finished. Just outside the office was a staircase which lead to two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. A count of the beds had revealed three people living in the house, Ran and her father as well as a child of roughly seven, if the clothes he had scene in the corner of one of the rooms were to be believed. He doubted Goro's 'Eri-sama' lived here, as one of the beds had been messy and a few sake bottles were strewn about.

As he checked the fridge for something to eat for breakfast, he decided to question the cat about the family living here, mind already determining an explanation for why he was supposedly homeless. "Hey Goro-chan, it's only Ran-san and her father here, right?"

Goro didn't even look up from his spot on the counter, where he was washing his ears. ("Yes. Ran-sama and Kogoro-sama. And Ran-sama's friend Conan-sama. Eri-sama lives in another building with me, though she's currently out of town and Ran-sama is taking care of me.")

He figured as much. He shut the fridge, settling on an orange that he immediately started to peel with his fingers. "Could you tell me more about this Conan?"

("He was entrusted to Ran-sama because his parents were too busy to properly care for him.") The kitten paused in mid-lick, nose wrinkling slightly. ("He's a bit odd for a human kitten. He talks about things most human kittens shouldn't talk about.")

"What kind of things?"

("Adult things. Death and murders. Kogoro-sama doesn't seem to find it weird though. He mostly find Conan-sama annoying.")

Ninten sucked on an orange slice in thought, mulling over the information. Was it possible this Conan was the same as him, shrunken by some mysterious force? It was too big of a coincidence for most peoples' liking, but he knew from experience anything was possible. Swallowing the tangy morsel, he picked out another. "Does his odd behavior bother Ran-san at all?"

("Sometimes. I'm not usually around much to see though. Most of what I'm telling you is from what has happened in Eri-sama's home.")

"Any other people who I can talk to then? Or animals?"

("I smelled rat on him once. Many rats. Bitter man-made smells too. I'm not sure where you would find them though.") Green eyes blinked before the kitten meowed happily and leaped off the counter, bounding towards the stairs leading to the office. Common sense declared that someone had come home and Ninten followed, stopping at the top of the stairs as he saw Ran looking down at Goro, who was pawing at her leg. As the teenage girl giggled she looked up, smiling at Ninten.

"You're up! I just got back from the store if you're hungry."

He shook his head, showing the half finished orange in his hand as he looked to the side. Why did girls fluster him so much? With Vermouth's constant teasing, he would have thought he could handle the opposite sex by now. "I, uh, hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, Ninten-kun. You can help yourself to anything as long as you're with us." She adjusted the bags in her hands, continuing up the stairs and walking into the kitchen. "Would you mind helping me put these groceries away?"

"Hai." Carefully setting the orange on the counter he proceeded to take the items of food out of the bag, sorting them into piles as he glanced at the currently older girl. "Ran-san, is it just you and your otousan living here?"

Ran gave an affirmative hum, placing some vegetables in the fridge. "Yes. Us and Conan-kun."

"Conan-kun?" He faked a curious frown, handing her a bag of sweet peas. "Is he your brother?"

She laughed. It was a friendly sound, much different from the smug and confident laughs he knew. "No, he's just staying with us for a while. He has become family though." Ran smiled down at him, suddenly tugging his cap playfully. "Too bad you couldn't meet him. He's at Hakase's with his friends. Though you're welcome to come with me to pick him up later if you want. I promised to take them out for lunch."

"That would be…" He trailed off, thinking the suggestion over. He didn't really know much about this boy, though Goro's words had definitely sounded like they'd fit an older teen more than a mere child. Something sounded oddly familiar though, the fact that this Conan talked about death and murder striking something in his mind he couldn't quite place, yet gave him a bad feeling all the same. The agent crossed his arms and scowled in thought, trying to coax the answers from his subconscious.

"Is something wrong, Ninten-kun?"

"N-Nothing!" he stuttered, hurriedly flashing a grin and waving his hands in front of him. As she continued to stare he nodded. "Er, sure. If-If it's not too much trouble I would enjoy coming with." The girl smiled, turning back to her work, and he sighed in relief before going back to his thoughts. Death and murder… What kind of people were interested in such topics? To his knowledge, only the Black Organization members and people working for the law were fans of such a grim topic, though he hadn't heard of any Organization members vanishing recently. Besides Sherry of course…

Ran's voice sounded and he blinked, smiling up at her. "I-I'm sorry. What was that?"

"I asked if you could tell me a bit about yourself," the teen responded, frowning softly and placing a hand to Ninten's forehead. The boy could feel his cheeks heat up slightly, his body tensing at the touch. "Are you feeling ok, Ninten-kun? You seem distant."

"I-I'm just n-not good with g-girls!" he cried, voice cracking slightly as he pushed the hand away. No doubt his face was bright red now and, to make matters worse, Ran was laughing again. This time at him. He hoped she wouldn't tease him now. He got enough of that from Vermouth. Not wanting to give her the chance he hesitantly cleared his throat. "Well… I'm from America. A small town called… Podunk. You won't find it on a map, so don't bother. It's a really small town."

"A small town, huh? A large city like Beika must be frightening."

"Tokyo more so," Ninten added, reclaiming his orange and tearing off another slice. "Anyway, I…" He paused, chewing the slice in his mouth as he thought up a reason for why a fourteen year old American boy would be in Japan. "I…" Why was this so difficult? Agents had to be good at lying if they were to be of any use. "Uh…"

Ran suddenly smirked, tugging his hat again. "Does Ninten-kun have a girlfriend back in Podunk?"

"N-No!" The exclamation came out as a squeak and his blush was renewed. Silently he cursed the female race and their love of getting under a guy's skin and, not thinking, he continued, his words rushed as he clamped his eyes shut. "I-I-I'm here with my mom!"

"Your kaa-san?"

He nodded, mental kicking himself. Why did he have to claim he was here with someone? Now Ran was going to ask to talk to his supposed mother and inform her of where her son was. There was no telling what she was going to do to him when she found out he was lying through his teeth. What if she kicked him out? Or worse, what if she handed him over to the police as a run away and they found out he didn't exist in this world? He resisted a shuddered, once again reminded why he owed the Organization his life.

He blinked, a plan suddenly hitting him. Slowly he smiled and nodded at Ran's question. "Yeah! We kind of got separated last night though. See, I wanted to go to the store because I had seen this really cool baseball bat earlier. None of the clothes I brought were clean though, so mom let me borrow her coat and told me to buy a new outfit while I was out. Only… Only…" He bit his lip, gulping as he remembered the close call he had had at the crime scene. "Only that lady got shot and-and your otousan yelled at me. I got scared." He shrugged as he finished, inspecting the girl for any sign that she had caught his life.

Luck was on his side as she smiled, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's ok, Ninten-kun. Otousan just gets a little excited when he's on a case." She gasped lightly before tightening her grip slightly, worry filling her eyes. "Does your kaa-san know you're alright? Do you want to call her and tell her where you are?"

Just what he had been hoping for. He nodded, giving her another smile. "If-If it's not too much trouble. But… er, can I talk to her in private? She can be a bit embarrassing…"

"Of course! Just use the phone on otousan's desk downstairs. He's out doing who knows what with his latest paycheck." She huffed, crossing her arms and muttering under her breath. Ninten took this as his cue to leave, walking down the stairs and shakily opening the door to the office. He couldn't believe he was dragging her into this mess. Honestly, he knew he could have come up with a better lie. This was all Ran's fault for deciding to tease him. Sighing in irritation, he picked up the phone and dialed.

He didn't have to wait long, as she picked up immediately. "Who is this?"

Great, just the mere sound of her voice was enough to fluster him. "V-Vodka."

"Vodka?" There was a moment of silence. "Where are you? Do you have any idea how worried Gin is? Why haven't you been responding to his calls?" She hummed, a smug sound that never failed to cause the male to break into a sweat. "What have you been doing?"

"I, uh, sort of lost my phone."

Another moment of silence. "You sound different Vodka."

"You don't know the half of it," he muttered, adjusting his cap and sighing as he leaned against the desk. "Look, could you tell Aniki I'm alright? You know he wouldn't pick up since it's an unknown number." As the words left his mouth he realized that despite how much she annoyed him, it was a very smart move calling Vermouth. His earlier plan of calling Aniki himself would have never worked.

The woman hummed again. "Do you want me to send him to your location… No, he can't at the moment. The boss has him doing an errand. Would you like me to pick you up?" The question was asked in a purr and he winced, cheeks aflame for the third time that day.

"N-No. J-Just… I-I…"

"You really do sound different." Her voice was serious now, with a slight hint of curiosity. "What exactly happened when Gin lost contact with you last night?"

He buried his face in his hands, head pounding as he merely thought of his misadventures that had led him to Ran's apartment. "I-I really don't know. It's all a blur. I remember going with you and Aniki to that bar… Polestar, was it?"

"Yes, that's the bar." She paused. "Did you drink too much?"

"No. I don't think so. If I had, Aniki would have taken me back to base to sleep it off."

"Can't you remember anything else? What is your most recent memory after Polestar?"

He hesitated, staring at the cars driving in the street below as he debated whether to tell her about the shrinking incident. No doubt she would tease him and try to use it to her advantage… He shook his head. No. This was a serious matter and even Vermouth, as teasing and playful as she was, knew when to get serious and down to business. He inhaled and tightened his grip on the phone.

"You can't tell Aniki. Not until after his mission. I don't want him worrying."

"Worrying? Vodka, what the hell happened?"

"As I said, I don't know. But I woke up in this alley and…" He inhaled again before sighing, running a hand through the hair under his cap. "I-I somehow… shrunk. De-aged or something."

Silence. He waited, growing steadily uneasy as the silence continued. For a brief moment he wondered if she even believed him. If he had been her he wouldn't have. After all, how the hell did an adult shrink back into a teenager? It went against the laws of nature and defied all sense of logic. Well, this world's logic anyway. Back on his world, with murderous hippies and zombies, it would fit in perfectly.

"Where are you?"

He jumped slightly, surprised that she had actually responded. "This-This girl's house. Mouri Ran."

"Angel?" Before he could ask she continued. "What did you tell her?"

"That I'm Kasper Ninten, on vacation with my mom. She, uh, thinks I'm talking to her now."

More silence. As he opened his mouth to make sure she was still on the other side a sudden string of curses stopped him, causing him to instead hold the phone away from his ear. Once the phone was quiet again he carefully brought it back. "Vermouth?"

"Damnit Vodka, why did you have to end up in the same building as Silver Bullet!"

"Silver Bullet… Wait, what do you mean… Are you…" He grit his teeth. That… That… She was hiding something. Something big that he just knew would make Aniki erupt in a rare fit of anger and shoot the blonde before she could say anything to save herself. But what? Or maybe he was just overreacting and it was just her being as secretive and toying as she usually was. He growled. "Why the hell do you have to be so damn mysterious?"

She sighed. "Have you met Conan-kun yet?"

He blinked. "How do you know about-"

"You're better with faces. You'll realize once you see him." She hummed once more. "It's… best you stay away from base for a while, ok? You'll understand why when you…" Vermouth trailed off before speaking again. "Tell An… Ran that kaa-san had an emergency and would really appreciate it if the kind people who let you stay the night would watch over you until it's settled. I'll keep in touch. Oh, and Vodka?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"Don't let them find out who you really are." A click and the line died, a harsh ring telling him that the line had been disconnected. He stared in shock, mind racing as he tried to process just what the women had been talking about. She had almost sounded terrified after finding out he had shrunken, rather than disbelieving like he had expected. Then instead of offering to help she had pretty much told him to go into hiding. Why should he? It wasn't like he was a traitor who had told a rival organization or the police about the Black Organization. Just what was Vermouth's problem? And how did she know Conan?

A knock on the door. "Ninten-kun? Are you finished yet? I'm going to pick up Conan now."

"C-Coming!" he called, hurriedly hanging up the phone and rushing to the door.

xXx

They had barely started walking and already Ninten was falling apart, Vermouth's strange words making him regret ever agreeing to Ran's suggestion. True, he would have eventually met this mysterious Conan, but this way he was going to have to act civil. He wished that he had remembered to bring the baseball bat he had bought yesterday. Sure, it wasn't the gun that he had been conditioned to depend on for the past several years, but a baseball bat had served him well back during his first real adventure.

"Are you alright?"

He jumped, glancing at Ran before biting his lip and looking away. "I-I'm just worried about mom is all."

The girl frowned. "Oh. I… I'm sure she's alright, Ninten-kun." He almost felt bad for feeding her this particular lie. The 'news' of his mother having a sudden emergency had caused her to worry and fret over him as if she too were her mother. Though it was better than the alternative. He hated to say it, but something about this girl made him want to spare her from the Organization's wrath. Leaving her in the dark was the lesser of evils.

He was sure that Vermouth had run into this girl and had come to the same conclusion. Which only deepened the mystery. When had Vermouth met Ran and why had she called her Angel?

The agent sighed. He needed to just relax. He'd think about it later, after meeting this Conan and at least getting some answers. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he shoved his hands in his pockets, humming a song his mother had taught him back when he was little, before life had gotten so complicated by aliens and other worlds. Gradually, he felt the tension melt away, his mind focused on the nostalgic tune.

"What song is that?"

He stopped in mid-verse. In his attempt to relax, he had completely forgotten that he had an audience, who was now staring at him curiously. Embarrassed he tugged his hat lower to hide his face, avoiding eye contact. "Stupid song mom taught me."

"Did she make it up?"

He nodded, hoping that that would be the end of it. Instead Ran smiled, blocking his path. "How does it go?"

"I-I really don't want to sing it. I mean, it's in English…"

"Please Ninten-kun?"

He sighed, closing his eyes. No doubt Ran would continue to pester him until he sang it. Once again his cheeks were heating up and he tried to unsuccessfully hide it with his hand. "Do I have to?" She nodded, crossing her arms in mock seriousness. He whined, ignoring that fact that now he was practically begging to the currently older teen. "But Ran-san-" She shook her head, eyes narrowing, and he winced before fully giving in. "Fine. B-But only one verse!"

She opened her mouth before shutting it, a slight smirk gracing her face. "Very well. One verse. The first."

Reluctantly Ninten inhaled, looking anywhere but at Ran. He knew she was going to make fun of him. Hell, he could still remember how years ago Ana had broken into laughter and Lloyd had chuckled when the two had caught him singing the whole song. Clamping his eyes shut and preparing for the worse, he sealed his fate.

"I believe the morning sun  
Always gonna shine again and  
I believe a pot of gold  
Waits at every rainbow's end  
I believe in roses kissed with dew  
Why shouldn't I believe the same in you?"

Silence followed. Brown eyes blinked open and peeked over at Ran, who was tapping her chin in thought. Well, at least she wasn't laughing yet. He shoved his hands in his pockets, kicking at the ground. "See? Stupid."

"No. It's cute." She smiled, starting to walk again as Ninten followed. "Do you really believe those things though?"

He shrugged. "Do you?"

"Well…" She tapped her chin again before scratching her neck. "I'm not exactly sure. I mean, believing in such things… It's a bit childish, isn't it?"

"A bit…" He looked up at the sky, watching a few sparrows fly overhead. "I think there's more to it than that though. Mom never told me what the whole song meant. She said that I'd know when I knew." He didn't want to mention that he'd found out what it meant back when he had saved the his world so long ago, how it was about always staying positive and believing in your friends. The world just didn't work like that. How did you stay positive when everything around you was black? How were you to believe in your friends when they weren't there for you? When they didn't even remember how close you had been before…

He shivered, the images of a boy and a girl morphing into two other people, people he had been so close to back when he had first found himself in such a different world. When had all of that gone wrong?

"Ninten-kun?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just… a bad dream, that's all."

"Do you want to…" He shook his head as she fell silent. As they continued walking, she remained so, eyes staring into the distance. Content that the topic had been abandoned, Ninten stared at the city around him, memorizing where they were should he ever wander too far from the apartment. It seemed simple enough. In fact, there was the building where…

He flinched, glad Ran was too lost in her thoughts to notice. He had known the name Mouri Kogoro had sounded familiar. He and Aniki had almost assassinated the detective when they thought he had placed a tracker on Agent Kir. The hit had been called off in the end, but that wasn't what had thrown his Aniki into a fit of quiet rage. No, what had caused the rage was CIA agent Shuichi Akai shooting the only lead to who had managed to track a Black Organization member. Luckily the man was dead now. At least, he thought he was dead.

("Excuse me.")

He blinked and looked down. A bright green frog was hopping next to him, its golden eyes staring right back. Casting Ran a quick glance the boy whispered back. "What do you want?"

("You may want to save your progress. Things are about to get nasty. For you anyway.")

"Really now." He rolled his eyes. "And how would a frog know what's to come?"

("I'm no ordinary frog. My fellow frogs and I? We're special. Really special. Psionic special.")

He scowled. "This world doesn't have psionic energy. First butterflies, now frogs… Am I losing my mind or something?"

("No. You're not losing you mind, Ninten.")

He spluttered, eyes growing wide. The frog merely continued hopping. Checking to make sure Ran was still lost in her own little world, he scooped up the amphibian and looked it in the eyes. "Wait, how do you even know my name! And why are psionic creatures suddenly in a psionic world?"

("I can't really answer your questions right now. It's not time yet. You should really save.")

"What are you even talking about?"

("Again, it's not time to answer that. The time will come later. Right now you should save your progress.")

He narrowed his eyes suspiciously, grimacing briefly before scoffing. "No thanks. After the lying monkeys, I'm not very keen on trusting 'special' animals."

("Alright, but don't say I didn't warn you.") the frog croaked, hopping out of his grip and vanishing into a street gutter. Ninten shook his head, quickening his pace to catch up to Ran. Lately the entire world seemed to be conspiring to confuse his poor mind. It was bad enough that Vermouth was force feeding him riddles, now he had frogs giving him cryptic messages telling him to save. What did they mean by that anyway? This wasn't his world. Besides, back on his world it had been his dad who had asked if he wanted to save. All that had done was cause a weird feeling of constant déjà vu in some challenging steps of his journey and headaches.

"Conan-kun!" Ran suddenly called, waving an arm over her head. He'd lost track of time, it seemed, as they had covered quite a bit of distance. He wondered briefly if his discussion with the possibly-a-hallucination frog had done something to his perception of time and space as he looked around. This area seemed nice enough, a white dome like building across the street from them. As Ran continued waving, a wide smile on her face, Ninten cautiously moved closer, curious as to what this mysterious boy looked like…

The world froze as brown met piercing blue. He opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come out, gathering and forming a sharp lump in his throat. He didn't even know what to say. Words couldn't even describe this. It was impossible. They'd killed him. He'd seen Aniki force the pill down his throat.

And yet there he stood. Kudou Shinichi, very much alive and shrunken just like him.


End file.
